Pork Belly with Fennel Slaw

Menu development is one of my favorite parts of hosting dinners. When you find those recipes that are endlessly perfect, I just can't wait to bring it to a crowd. My Ma made me this Pork Belly with Fennel Slaw for Sunday Supper last week. My family devoured every last bit of pork belly, leaving nothing but a bit of slaw.

Pork Belly is essentially just uncured bacon. It has lovely fat marbling that adds tremendous flavor to just about anything. The fennel slaw cuts through the richness of the belly with its aromatic flavor and echoes the toasted fennel seed in the dry rub. I prepared this last night as tacos and again, not a single morsel left. Serve as an appetizer or simply braise the belly for tacos and sandwiches. Catch this recipe on our pre fixe tasting menu at Cipollina in Austin for the #SXSWPIGROAST

PORK BELLY WITH FENNEL SLAW

adapted form Mario Botali  

RUB

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

2 tablespoons Fennel (toasted and ground)

3 tablespoons Salt

3 tablespoons Rosemary (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon  crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Remove skin from Pork Belly. Cross score the fat. Set aside. Mix all ingredients and generously rub onto scored pork belly. Set aside. 

BRAISE

2 pounds  Pork Belly (skin removed)

2 Carrots 

3 stalks Celery 

1/2 Red Onion (sliced)

2 Fennel Stalks

1 tablespoon  Fennel Seeds

1 bottle Beer

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Carrots 

3 stalks Celery 

1/2 Red Onion (sliced)

2 Fennel Stalks

1 tablespoon  Fennel Seeds

1 bottle Beer

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop vegetables into large 1/2 inch chunks and set aside. In a Dutch oven of large cast iron, heat a heavy pour of olive oil and add prepared belly, fat side down. Once deep brown, flip to other side. Add vegetables. Pour in beer. Place uncovered in oven. Cook for two hours and serve atop of slaw.

FENNEL SLAW 

1 small head green cabbage, shredded 

1 head red cabbage, shredded  

1 Red Onion, sliced

1 bulb Fennel, thinly sliced

1/4 cup Mint, chopped

1/4 cup Basil Leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

2 tablespoons Honey

 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt and freshly ground Pepper

Shred slice and chop vegetables and herbes. Mix together with seasonings and stir to combine. Set aside.

BBQ SAUCE 

1 cup reserved  braising drippings

5 cups apple cider

1-2 cups ketchup

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Mustard 

3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

3 cloves Garlic

Remove belly from braise. Drain vegetables and place remaining juice in a gravy separator. The jus and the fat will separate. Pour off as much fat as possible and reserve. In a medium sauce pan heat pork jus on medium heat. Add all ingredients while constantly tasting. Adjust flavors to your liking. Simmer until thick. Pour atop sliced Pork Belly. Serve immediately.  

Venison Stew

I'm a proud Pennsylvanian, and I'm not afraid to brag about my love of scrapple, or all the wild mushrooms in our woods, or our incredible stock of free range white tailed dear meat. Its that time of year again, hunting season began with its usual bang, and I've been happy to soothe that winter chill with this simple deer stew. This is a classic and simple stew that gets better as it cooks and develops flavor. You can essentially use this recipe with any cut of meat and produce a world class stew.

Venison Stew

2-3 pounds Venison, cubed*

1/4 cup pork lard (bacon fat)

4 large yellow onions, chopped

1 pound mushrooms (I used shitakie), quartered

6 cloves garlic, minced

6 large carrots, halved and quartered

1 head celery, chopped

1 bottle red wine, I used Pinot Noir

6 red potatoes, quartered

1 bag frozen peas

1 quart stock, if needed

Salt, pepper, herbes, bay leaf, to taste

In a cast iron skillet, heat the lard until melted and add the venison. Cook until browned and add the onions. When the onions are translucent, add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until they have released their moisture. In a large stock pot over medium flame, add the venison and mushroom mixture. Then add the carrots and celery and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the red wine, potatoes, herbs, and bay leaf, then simmer for an hour or until potatoes are soft, checking frequently. If the stew is too thick, add a bit of stock. Add the bag of peas and simmer until cooked. Serve atop mashed potatoes or with plain yogurt.

*if cooking with wild game deer, be sure to trim the cut. Remove any fat, tendons, bones and 'silver'(the glossy connective membrane encasing much of the meat).  

Chili

Chili is one of my favorite meals to put together for a crowd or a buncha hungry boys. There are many different types of chili, from the slow cooked Texas chili con carne to the hyper regional and unrecognizable Cincinnati Chili but mine is all Yankee. I like my chili loaded with kidney beans and tomatoes. I'll put meat in there too if I have it around but chili is also a great way to get rid of leftovers and create a harmony of flavors. There are no exact measurements in chili and it is a great way to play around in the kitchen. One of my favorite variations is seasoning my vegetables and meat with lard and beer... and whisky. 

Chili

3-5 yellow onions, diced

1 cob or 1 bag sweet corn, about 2 cups

1 12 oz. can dark beer like Yuengling

1 pound bison, turkey, or beef

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound mushrooms, chopped

2 bell peppers, diced

5-10 stems collard greens, cut into ribbons

2 can black beans

1 can pinto beans

2 cans kidney beans

1-2 cans tomato sauce

1 6oz. can tomato paste

2 shot whisky

seasonings to taste

In a cast iron skillet with a scoop of bacon fat or butter, add diced onions and a bag of frozen corn. Cook until brown and pour in a can of beer (this is called deglazing the pan). Add a pound of ground meat, if using. Simmer and reduce the beer for about 10 minutes. Once beer has reduced by about half, add garlic, mushrooms, bell peppers, collards, and beans. Add the can of tomato sauce and a can of tomato paste. Add more beer if sauce is to thick and not covering the beans well. Add a shot of whisky, salt, chili powder, pepper and simmer. At the point you should be tasting constantly and adding salt to your liking. Salt brings out a lot of flavors so be sure to use at least a teaspoon. I like my chili spicy so I'll add hot sauce, chili or chipotle powder and whatever else I am feeling. Once again this recipe is incredibly flexible. You pretty much just need beans and tomato sauce to make a northern chili. Meat and veggies is all gravy. Enjoy!

Quiche Revisted

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Roasted Jim Nardello Peppers, Caramelized Onions with Bacon and Fresh Chèvre + Spring Baby Green Quiche with Fresh Feta and Caramelized Mushrooms

Quiche has been a favorite recipe within the last few months. The beauty of quiche is always in its simplicity and can be put together with nothing but eggs and whatever else you have on hand. Quiche became a go to recipe for me when dealing with all the fresh produce in our farm share. What do you do with a pound of springs greens, zucchini and green beans? You make a fabulous quiche ya fancy pants!

Now there has been much confusion amongst my inner circle as to the difference between a quiche and a frittata, and the short answer is simply that quiche has a crust. Now of course there is cultural backgrounds at stake, as 'frittata' is an Italian word meaning 'egg cake', and quiche a german word, derived from the word Kuchen meaning cake, and then made famous by the french (seriously) as an egg cake with the addition of a pastry crust. So gluten intolerant friends, if you can't do the crust, simply make a frittata and you won't be missing a thing! 

The basic building of a quiche should always be simple and dependent on your personal preferences. I generally go with some sort of cheese, veggies, herbs & spices, and of course eggs! Using healthy farm fresh eggs is a real game changer in this recipe so be sure to use the good stuff. 

BASIC QUICHE CRUST-

1 cup flour

pinch salt

1/4 cup oil (canola, vegetable, olive oil)

1/4 cup water 

Combine dry ingredients, whisk together oil & water and combine. In between to sheets of wax paper, roll out to fit a 9 inch pan or a cast iron skillet.

CARAMELIZED ONION, CHEDDAR, PURPLE POTATO AND CHIVE QUICHE

1 onion, caramelized

1 bunch chives, minced

1 purple potato, diced

salt & ground pepper, to taste

4 large eggs

1/2 cup cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk eggs cream, herbs and salt & pepper together until the egg yolk and white are totally incorporated. Lay curst in greased pie pan and shape. Add cheese layering veggies and pour egg mixture on top. Bake covered with tinfoil for 40 minutes. Remove foil and cook until golden. Enjoy!!!

This recipe is very basic, all veggies can be modified. Keep your basic crust and egg mixture and explore some creative combinations with your leftovers! I have also found that if you do not have cream available that 2 tbsp butter and 1/2 cup milk work as a good substitute as well as creme fraiche, yogurt or sour cream. For more quiche inspirations, visit my previous recipe .

Momma's Fall Stew

As a child in my hometown of Upper Black Eddy, the smell of wood smoke filled the air as the weather turned bitterly cold and like always, as the season change, so do my cravings, and theres nothing like my mom's cooking. My all time favorite meal she makes is her fall stew. I would come home cold and hungry after school and a big bowl of stew would always set me right. Obviously this dish is super sentimental for me but it is also a big hit with my friends. It is a very basic and simple stew but has great depth of flavor is easy to whip up and perfect for cold weather. I hope this becomes a favorite in your family too.

BY BEA BRIGGS This is an excellent flexible recipe. It was given to me by my friend Leila. She had given me a large pot of it right after our first child was born and as exhausted new parents, what a delight it was to open the fridge & find these leftovers. I treasure the scribbled recipe she gave me & I have continued the tradition of giving this to new parents, friends in need & neighbors. But it feeds a crowd of about 6 hungry people, usually with leftovers, so it is great when ever the seasons change!

Momma's Fall Stew

3 pound Brisket (or chuck roast)

6 cups water

1 bottle red wine

1 can tomatoes(12 oz) ( sauce, puree, paste or can )

3-4 onions roughly, chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, chopped

4-6 carrots, chopped into 2 inch discs

1 pound mushrooms(button), quartered

4-6 red potatoes quartered (if small leave whole, be sure all are the same size so they cook evenly)

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt, pepper, herbes, bay leaf, to taste

METHOD

In a large pot with lid, over medium high heat, add olive oil. Salt & pepper meat well on both sides. Sear in pot, on both sides & remove from pot. Add chopped onions & garlic to the pot & saute until golden. Return meat back to pot and add water, wine and tomatoes, being sure that the meat is covered. Add bay leaf & favorite herbs such as  herbes de provence e or a basil/oregano mix. Season wtih salt pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low simmer. You can also put in oven at 350, if your pot is oven proof. Cook for one hour. Remove meat & slice into 1/4 inch long slices. Return meat to pot and add carrots, mushrooms & potatoes. Cover and cook for an additional hour on low heat. Taste and add more salt & pepper, if needed.

Momma's notes

As you can tell this is a very flexible recipe. The measurements are not exact, if you like more wine, I have added a whole bottle, sometimes I have used just water & tomato sauce. Other times water, wine & a little tomato. So what ever you have on hand will make the liquid ( I have even used V-8 juice). The acid in the wine & tomato helps break down the meat. You just want the meat to be covered by liquid. This was traditionally made with 1st cut brisket, which has more fat running through it & made a nice roast out of a cheaper piece of meat. If you like carrots more than mushrooms add more, ditto with potatoes. This is a pretty fail proof recipe, so after you make it a few times you get it. Use what you have & like. It gets better each day, as the flavors work. I like to serve it with green beans or sautéed kale and don't forget the sour cream!